Tolo, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Tolo is an unincorporated community
in Jackson County
, Oregon
, United States
, located north of Interstate 5
, between Central Point
and Gold Hill
, south of Sams Valley
. Originally named Willow Springs, the town was envisioned to be one of the biggest cities of Southern Oregon
. Tolo was platted in 1888, but was virtually abandoned by the year 1918. In 1986, the Jackson County Commission returned the plat to public ownership.
, Takelma
, Latgawa, and Athabaskan Indians lived in the Rogue River
valley. Early Hudson's Bay Company
hunters and trappers, following the Siskiyou Trail
, passed through the area in the 1820s. In the late 1840s, settlers (mostly American) following the Applegate Trail
began passing through the area. By the early 1850s, the Donation Land Act brought many white settlers into the Rogue Valley
and in conflict with its Native people. These often violent clashes prompted the signing of the Table Rock Treaty on September 10, 1853.
, the Table Rock Indian Reservation
, which encompassed Upper and Lower Table Rock
, Sams Valley, and the Evans Creek and Sardine Creek watersheds. The treaty also called for a fort to protect the Indians from the ambitions of the white settlers. Fort Lane was constructed in 1853 in what was to become Willow Springs, and later, Tolo. It was occupied by two companies of the U.S. Army's 1st Dragoons under the command of Captain Andrew Jackson Smith. The fort was used to maintain the peace between the pioneers and native peoples. However, tensions and violence continued to mount, leading to the Rogue River Wars
of 1855-1856. Joel Palmer
, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs
, ordered the removal of the Indians of southwest Oregon to the Coastal Indian Reservation of northern Oregon. Fort Lane became the Army headquarters for the removal.
relinquished Fort Lane, which was subsequently purchased by investors.
In 1886, the name Willow Springs was officially changed to Tolo. Popular belief is that the intended name was to be Yolo in tribute to Yolo County, California
, but that the postal authorities misread the "Y", mistaking it for a "T", thus naming the Post Office "Tolo". It is possible, however that the residents actually did intend for the name to be "Tolo". Tolo is a word from the Chinook Jargon
, and meant a "windfall" or "payday", possibly reinforcing the hopes of its founders that Tolo would become one of the larger cities in Southern Oregon, with prosperity for all.
In 1888, Tolo was platted by lawyer and Oregon Supreme Court
Chief Justice Paine Page Prim
.
Tolo began to dwindle around the turn of the 20th century. Tolo post office closed in 1897. Around that time, two brothers from New York, Colonel Frank H. Ray, and Doctor Charles R. Ray began developments in Tolo. The post office re-opened in 1898. The Ray brothers opened a rock quarry, which lead to Tolo's nickname of "Construction City". From 1902 to 1904, the Ray brothers constructed the Gold Ray Dam, the first hydro-electric plant
in Southern Oregon, bringing electricity to the region.
plant, quarry
, sawmill
, and gold mines
. In 1918, the post office closed permanently, along with the railroad depot. In 1986, the Jackson County Commission returned the plat, which contained 474 building lots, along with public streets, to public ownership.
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located north of Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, Interstate 5 traverses the state from north to south, passing through the major cities of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Medford.-Route description:...
, between Central Point
Central Point, Oregon
Central Point is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 17,165 as of July 1, 2009 The city shares its southern border with Medford and is a part of the Medford metropolitan area...
and Gold Hill
Gold Hill, Oregon
Gold Hill is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of July 1, 2009, the population was 1,080 people.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, south of Sams Valley
Sams Valley, Oregon
Sams Valley is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 234 northeast of Gold Hill, in the Medford area....
. Originally named Willow Springs, the town was envisioned to be one of the biggest cities of Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
. Tolo was platted in 1888, but was virtually abandoned by the year 1918. In 1986, the Jackson County Commission returned the plat to public ownership.
History
Prior to the arrival of settlers in mid-19th century, ShastaShasta (tribe)
The Shasta are an indigenous people of Northern California and Southern Oregon in the United States. They spoke one of the Shastan languages....
, Takelma
Takelma
The Takelma were a Native American people that lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon, with most of their villages sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means Along the River.-History:...
, Latgawa, and Athabaskan Indians lived in the Rogue River
Rogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
valley. Early Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
hunters and trappers, following the Siskiyou Trail
Siskiyou Trail
The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path...
, passed through the area in the 1820s. In the late 1840s, settlers (mostly American) following the Applegate Trail
Applegate Trail
The Applegate Trail was a wilderness trail through today's U.S. states of Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon, and was originally intended as a less dangerous route to the Oregon Territory.-Background:...
began passing through the area. By the early 1850s, the Donation Land Act brought many white settlers into the Rogue Valley
Rogue Valley
The Rogue Valley is a farming and timber-producing region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon near the California border. The...
and in conflict with its Native people. These often violent clashes prompted the signing of the Table Rock Treaty on September 10, 1853.
Table Rock Treaty and Fort Lane
The Table Rock Treaty established the first reservation in the Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, the Table Rock Indian Reservation
Table Rock Indian Reservation
Table Rock Reservation was a short-lived Indian reservation located north of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was established by treaty with the Rogue River Indians in 1853. Following the conclusion of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, the Native American inhabitants were moved to other...
, which encompassed Upper and Lower Table Rock
Upper and Lower Table Rock
Upper Table Rock and Lower Table Rock are two prominent volcanic plateaus located just north of the Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon. Created by an andesitic lava flow approximately seven million years ago and shaped by erosion, they now stand about above the surrounding valley...
, Sams Valley, and the Evans Creek and Sardine Creek watersheds. The treaty also called for a fort to protect the Indians from the ambitions of the white settlers. Fort Lane was constructed in 1853 in what was to become Willow Springs, and later, Tolo. It was occupied by two companies of the U.S. Army's 1st Dragoons under the command of Captain Andrew Jackson Smith. The fort was used to maintain the peace between the pioneers and native peoples. However, tensions and violence continued to mount, leading to the Rogue River Wars
Rogue River Wars
The Rogue River Wars was an armed conflict between the US Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area of what today is southern Oregon in 1855–56...
of 1855-1856. Joel Palmer
Joel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs
Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs
The Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an official position of the U.S. state of Oregon, and previously of the Oregon Territory, that existed from 1848–1873.-Background:...
, ordered the removal of the Indians of southwest Oregon to the Coastal Indian Reservation of northern Oregon. Fort Lane became the Army headquarters for the removal.
Growth of the community
After the removal of the Indians, Willow Springs continued to grow. The Willow Springs post office was opened in 1864. Mines, quarries, and mills sprang up in the area. In 1871, the Department of the InteriorUnited States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
relinquished Fort Lane, which was subsequently purchased by investors.
In 1886, the name Willow Springs was officially changed to Tolo. Popular belief is that the intended name was to be Yolo in tribute to Yolo County, California
Yolo County, California
Yolo County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the other counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. The city of Woodland is its county seat, though Davis is its largest city....
, but that the postal authorities misread the "Y", mistaking it for a "T", thus naming the Post Office "Tolo". It is possible, however that the residents actually did intend for the name to be "Tolo". Tolo is a word from the Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
, and meant a "windfall" or "payday", possibly reinforcing the hopes of its founders that Tolo would become one of the larger cities in Southern Oregon, with prosperity for all.
In 1888, Tolo was platted by lawyer and Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
Chief Justice Paine Page Prim
Paine Page Prim
Paine Page Prim was an American attorney and judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 6th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving in that role from three times between 1864 and 1878. Prim served on Oregon’s highest court for 21 years...
.
Tolo began to dwindle around the turn of the 20th century. Tolo post office closed in 1897. Around that time, two brothers from New York, Colonel Frank H. Ray, and Doctor Charles R. Ray began developments in Tolo. The post office re-opened in 1898. The Ray brothers opened a rock quarry, which lead to Tolo's nickname of "Construction City". From 1902 to 1904, the Ray brothers constructed the Gold Ray Dam, the first hydro-electric plant
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
in Southern Oregon, bringing electricity to the region.
Demise
By 1915, it appeared that Tolo was not going to become the large city envisioned by its founders. The population remained at 150, and the momentum for growth was lacking, despite the city having a brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
plant, quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, and gold mines
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
. In 1918, the post office closed permanently, along with the railroad depot. In 1986, the Jackson County Commission returned the plat, which contained 474 building lots, along with public streets, to public ownership.
Future
The Tolo area is designated by Jackson County Commissioners for future industrial development, along with the Medford Industrial Park in White CityWhite City, Oregon
White City is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined White City as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with...
.